


What Can Be, What Will Be: Year Five (Rewrite)

by 30KEWNE



Series: What Can Be, What Will Be (Rewrite Series) [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Not Canon Compliant, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/30KEWNE/pseuds/30KEWNE
Summary: Rewrite of my very first story. At the end of fourth year, Severus Snape was given a proposal. This proposal promises to get him out of the terrible life he lives, but will also cost him his childhood friend and the girl he has fallen in love with, Lily Evans. He cannot stand for that and refuses. Refusing the Death Eaters is not so easy, however. Will Severus come up with a good plan to get away from them before things get worse?Notice: due to copyright law debates, this story will be placed on an indefinite suspension. Story will resume if debate goes our way.
Relationships: Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape
Series: What Can Be, What Will Be (Rewrite Series) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725877
Comments: 136
Kudos: 37





	1. The Road So Far (Intro)

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the very first chapter of the rewrite series. Many things will actually be staying the same in terms of story as my main focus is fixing all the errors found in the original series. However, things will be different as well so it is far from a copy and paste job. I won't reveal the differences right off the bat because spoilers. You will just have to read to find out. I hope you enjoy and stick around for this very long road.

To say that his life is a living hell would be a major understatement. Severus Snape had known nothing but pain and suffering from the moment he could understand what those things even were. His father, if one could even call him that, was a drunk and a complete bastard. He would shout at, beat and belittle his wife Eileen whenever he felt like it which was most of the time. Tobias Snape did not turn his rage onto his son Severus until he was six years old. His mother was being hurt again and Severus lashed out with power he didn't even know existed within him, power that would later be revealed as magic. This was no ordinary magic. However, it would be a very long time before he would know that, almost a decade in fact. Tobias was blasted across the room in a bright violet beam of light hard enough to crack the plaster. Eileen looked at him, horrified. Not because of what he had done, but because his magic had been revealed and Tobias would now turn his rage onto the son she tried so hard to keep safe from him. 

No longer was Eileen Tobias' prime target. Severus now was as a result of what his magic did. The very next day, Tobias burst into Severus' room and whipped him repeatedly with a belt until he tired. The welts and bruises left on Severus' back would not remain as there was no trace of any of them in a matter of minutes. Tobias was furious that his freak son didn't "learn his lesson" and tried again, this time with the belt buckle. Severus' magic lashed out once again the first time the sharp object made contact with his skin. This came the moment Eileen stopped being the strong woman she was always known for being. She came into the room and did something Severus could not describe and would not know about for many years to come. All he knew was pure agony and then nothing. Tobias decided to use his belt on Severus once again. This time, however, the wounds did not heal. The blood flow did not stop almost immediately like it had before and Severus' magic did not react. Eileen made no move to protect him, she just stood by and watched with a broken expression on her face.

It wasn't until he was nine years old that Severus would see even a beacon of hope, of light in his life. He had been sitting behind a tree in a park observing two girls. One of them being a redhead with shoulder length hair and emerald green eyes. The other being taller with black hair, likely her older sister. He didn't observe her as much because she did not display what interested him. It was the redhead girl that displayed what he found fascinating. Magic. He had overheard his mother and father arguing about it one night and finally understood the basics of what it was that he had done to his father three years prior. He also snuck into a hidden room with his mother's old stuff in it and discovered everything he could about magic. He decided to reveal himself to the redhead girl which only resulted in insults from the black haired girl and the redhead girl running after her. Some time later, he met the redhead girl again, now named Lily, and explained everything he knew about the magical world to her. They were interrupted by Lily's sister, also named Petunia. Petunia threw some more insults at Severus, this time aimed at his clothing. This made Severus angry. He decided to use what little magic he could control to snap a tree branch above her. As it came down and hit Petunia, she instantly burst into tears. This made Lily glare angrily at him and she left with Petunia. 

At eleven years old, he and Lily had long since become good friends and had been meeting whenever they could. It was at this time that he got his Hogwarts letter. Severus had been anticipating this. It meant he would finally be away from his parents. Most children would hate this, but Severus wanted nothing more. During this time he had also met Lily's parents: Violet and John Evans. They were such lovely people and Severus nearly burst into tears at the love this family had for each other. Why couldn't his be the same? But he didn't let them fall and didn't let them see. He made sure to hide his situation as best he could especially after the incident last year which almost resulted in his death. As far as he knew the Evans family did not suspect a thing. On September the first, they were finally on the Hogwarts Express. Lily had a really bad fight with her sister and was in tears. He decided to cheer her up by discussing what house they think they'll be in. Once Severus mentioned Slytherin, the other boys in the compartment who had pretended the two of them weren't even there until now, decided to speak up. They spoke with voices full of loathing and disgust right off the bat. Lily had enough and told Severus to come with her, a shout of "Snivellus" following after them. The word that would be the bane of his existence at Hogwarts. Once they reached Hogwarts, they were greeted by a stern looking woman who you definitely did not want to cross. They were eventually led into the Great Hall and the sorting began. To his displeasure, Lily went to Gryffindor and he went to Slytherin. She still beamed at him from across the massive room, however. He sat down next to a blond haired prefect who gave a slight nod but no further acknowledgement. Throughout first year, Severus often found himself the subject of bullying. Mostly at the hands of three boys named James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. There was a fourth known as Remus Lupin but he never did anything personally, just stood by and watched. 

After a year of hell that was hardly better than at home, Severus was on his way to said place. His mother had not come to pick him up and either had his father. The Evans family offered to take him home since they lived close by. They wondered why Severus' parents had not shown up but asked no further questions. Severus was dropped off and walked into what he knew would be waiting for him. It was his father and mother, both still the same as always. He had not seen his mother do, or even mention magic since that night all those years ago. He wondered if she even could still do it after all this time. The summer was relatively boring. Homework and spending time with the Evans family whenever he could mostly took up the whole thing. His father had not been quite as aggressive as before but he still did not hesitate to berate or beat both him and his mother on occasion. Before long, it was time to return to Hogwarts. The four boys from last year still bullied him constantly. Unlike last year, he had enough and eventually started fighting back. He managed to injure Sirius pretty badly with one of the curses he read about in his mother's books. This got him into a load of trouble with his head of house Professor Slughorn and Lily was furious with him. She had not spoken to him for weeks after that. The four boys did not take this kindly, however, and now started attacking him three on one every single time. Their attacks were also more aggressive than before. The year ended the same as last with exams and a train ride home. 

Third year is when things really started to change. At Hogwarts, Lily was starting to receive attention from one of his bullies, James. Lily, however, paid little to no attention to him and what little attention she did pay him was telling him to sod off. This caused James to go at Severus even harder. Lily did not quite understand why this was as she knew Severus had not done anything to them since last year with that curse. He also wondered why Remus was constantly disappearing under strange circumstances. When he started looking into it he was warned off rather violently. He decided to let the matter drop for now but swore he would revisit it at some point in the future. Third year, changes in behavior aside, ended relatively similar to the first two years. Little did he know, however, that he was starting to get attention elsewhere. 

Fourth year, which had just ended, was almost completely different. Some people from Slytherin, namely Mulciber, Avery, Wilkes and Rosier started trying to talk to him. He was not an idiot and knew what these people stood for. However, he did not want to end up on their bad side so he just went along with it. Lily had been making her own circle of friends as well. Mary Macdonald, Alice Nesbitt, Frank Longbottom and a girl he only knows as Cassandra were all friends now. Mary, Alice, Frank and Cassandra were all in Lily's year while Frank was a year ahead of them. They were all displeased with Severus' association with the "bad circle" as they're known as. Cassandra, however, did not condone the bullying from the Marauders as they're now known as and stepped in whenever she could to stop them. Despite her displeasure of his association, Lily and Severus had grown very close this year. Closer than they had ever been before. Severus knew he had fallen for her long ago but didn't dare take his chances with trying to go further with her. How could someone as beautiful and as kind as Lily love a freak like him? In the month of April, Severus nearly lost his life. He began investigating Remus once again and Sirius came to him and told him how to get into the Whomping Willow and told him to do so at a certain time on a certain date. Severus fell for it and nearly came face to face with Remus' werewolf form. James had stepped in to "save" him and he was knocked unconscious. He woke up in the Hospital Wing where Dumbledore threatened him with expulsion if he breathed a word of this to anybody, including Lily. This was the moment Severus came to despise the Headmaster. Protecting a werewolf and treating him, the victim, as if he were an instigator? Toward the end of the year, Severus was approached by the Slytherins again. This time they made him an offer. If he were to abandon the "mudblood" obviously Lily, they could get him a life he always wanted. A life where he would be powerful and where he would not have to live a life of misery anymore. He might have considered it but calling his beloved Lily a mudblood made his answer easy. He more or less told them to go fuck themselves before walking away. 

Over the course of third and fourth years, Severus had been working on ways to circumvent the trace that is placed upon all underaged wizards as well as testing out spell creation which always fascinated him. He would not stand for his father's abuse anymore. It was time he showed that bastard who he was messing with and maybe save his mother in the process. He finally figured out how to do so two weeks before the end of term and immediately did the spell on himself. As the trace shattered, Severus felt a huge weight be lifted off his shoulders. This was also when he finished his last, most powerful curse: Sectumsempra. He smiled wickedly as he tested this out by slashing a piece of furniture to pieces. It would be fun using this on his bastard of a father. He was going to save his mother and help her get her power back no matter what it took, even if it meant killing his father.


	2. A Meeting With Lily and a Parental Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, a new chapter. Sorry this took so long but I was still laying down the road map for what I want to do with this. Now that this is done updates MIGHT be coming much quicker than 3 weeks. I won't promise anything in terms of dates though because come June 1st I have to go back to taking college classes or the online counterparts because of COVID. If things get difficult this story will be last on my mind and my unpredictable dog shit internet does not help.

Severus awakened after a poor night's sleep. He spent a good majority of the night contemplating how he was going to get his mother to accept magic once again as well as what he was going to do once he was back at Hogwarts. He had made a serious enemy of Mulciber and his group and they would be after him every chance they got. If things got bad he knew he was going to have to talk to Dumbledore. Anger filled him at the thought of the meddling old man. Potter and his cronies had willingly placed him in danger in an act of pettiness. Who is to say they wouldn't do the same to others? Then for the Headmaster to sit there and threaten to expel him if he said anything to anybody only fueled his anger even more. There's also the whole matter of his home life. Severus did not doubt for a second that Dumbledore knew what was going on at his home and yet he never once tried to help him. This led to Severus spending years looking for ways to circumvent the trace put upon all underaged wizards to prevent them from using magic at home. Thankfully, he finally figured out how to remove it undetected and he could now use magic should he find himself in a sticky situation with his father which was inevitable. It was only a matter of time before the drunken bastard decided he needed to be punished for one thing or another. 

Severus got up and got dressed. He was going to be meeting with Lily at their usual spot today. He was going to tell her everything with Lupin, his plans, the details of his home life, everything. If she didn't want to speak to him after that than it was her choice to make but at least she would know everything. He was tired of keeping secrets from her. He went downstairs, taking his wand with him just in case his father was around. He was not and was apparently out drinking as usual. He told his mother he was leaving and got no response from her. Severus walked to the park where he usually met Lily. It was about half way between his house and Lily's and where the two met there was never any company. He walked to the tree they always sat under and she looked up at him. 

"Hey, Sev!" she called out, excited. 

"Hey, Lily," he called back and sat down next to her. 

"That was a rather grim tone of voice. What is going on?" Lily asked. 

"Lily, there are many things I need to tell you and I am not sure how you will feel after. But no matter what, I will respect your decision." 

"Okay..." 

"Last year I was tricked into going down by the Whomping Willow by Black. My suspicions about Lupin being a werewolf were right after all. He nearly killed me before Potter jumped in to save his own neck."

Lily was shocked at this. "What? Why would they do that? Sure they're a real piece of work but that's taking it a little too far don't you think?" 

"I didn't think they would either, Lily. But Black told me to go down there so he could get rid of me as I was getting too close to the truth for comfort. You know how Potter feels about me. Why else would he save me if not to save himself? Dumbledore also threatened to expel me if I told anyone, even you." 

"That bastard!" Lily exclaimed. 

"Yeah. If word gets out that you know, I will likely be expelled and Potter's cronies will have gotten away with attempted murder," Severus said, feeling just as angry as Lily. 

"He wouldn't expel you, Sev. He just wouldn't," Lily said, trying to convince herself more than anything. 

"Oh yes he would. He has disliked me from the moment that hat put me in Slytherin. This leads me to one thing I wish to discuss next. He knows about my home life, I am certain of it." 

Lily's interest was piqued at this. "What about it? I know you and your parents don't get along but that's all it is, right?" 

Severus gave a derisive chuckle at that. "I am very good at fooling people but no it is much worse. When my father gets drunk or whenever he feels like it really he..." Severus' breath hitched. It was difficult to discuss. He took a moment to collect himself before continuing. "He beats me. Usually with the sharp end of a belt buckle." 

Lily was completely horrified. "And Dumbledore knew this?" she asked, fearing the answer. 

"How could he not? You know how often I am in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey would have told him that she found signs of abuse. Dumbledore has never once stepped in to try to help me. The one time I tried to seek out a neighbor for help that bastard nearly killed me." 

Severus lifted up the back of his shirt and turned his back toward Lily. She nearly screamed at the sight before her and she felt tears form in her eyes at the atrocity. His entire back was covered in long, thick gashes. Some of them were layered wounds, others were so deep that even the scar tissue didn't fill them in correctly causing jagged cuts that looked as if someone sawed at his flesh with a serrated blade. 

"Sev," Lily said, throwing herself at him. She rested her head on his chest and cried silently. She knew he didn't get along with his parents, especially his father but she never thought it was this bad. 

"Shh it's okay, Lily. I am fine," Severus said, trying to comfort her. 

"You can't go back there, Sev. I am going to see if I can talk my parents into arranging for you to live with us," she said. 

"That won't be possible, Lily. You know I have to go back there. But it isn't like I am unprotected anymore."

"What do you mean? Your mother gave up magic and we can't use it outside school." 

"This is what I was hesitant to tell you. I performed a...spell on myself. A rather dark one. It negates the trace and makes it impossible for the Ministry to detect my magic whenever it is in use." 

Lily looked up at him. She was usually appalled at the use of Dark Magic, but Severus needed to be able to protect himself and his mother. She was conflicted. She eventually nodded her acceptance given that nobody seemed to want to help him and those who did couldn't. Severus also explained the last thing he wanted to tell her and that was to give his mother her power back. 

"How, Sev?" she asked. "She rejected magic and hasn't used it in years." 

"I think it is much more complicated than that, Lily. I could try to coax the details out of her but with father around it would be all but impossible. She just doesn't seem like the type to voluntarily reject magic." 

"Just...please be safe," Lily said. 

"I will, Lily." 

They parted ways after that as Lily had homework to get done. Severus had thought he should get started on his own as well. He walked back to the dismal place he was forced to call home. He walked inside and his father was still not home. His mother was still right where she was before. She looked up at him briefly and a strange look crossed her face before she looked down again. Severus considered trying to speak to her now but seeing her, he decided against it. He walked up the stairs to his room. He opened his books and began working on his summer homework. Charms was always Lily's area of expertise. He was good but not as good as her. As he worked, he heard the front door slam open which he knew was his father arriving. He ignored it at first and kept working but then he heard his father begin shouting and he heard his mother's terrified voice. Severus got up and grabbed his wand. He heard his mother scream a few seconds later and his temper snapped. He got up and flung his bedroom door open, wand in hand. If that bastard so much as harmed another hair on his mother's head he was going to kill him. It was time someone stepped up to protect the vulnerable woman and showed that bastard his place. Severus bolted down the stairs and observed the scene. He saw his mother on her knees, her nose bleeding and his father holding his favorite weapon. Severus raised his wand and aimed it at his bastard of a father. 

"Get away from her, father," Severus spat the word as if he swallowed something foul. 

Tobias turned to his son, a sneer on his face. "What are you going to do if I don't boy?" 

As if to prove his point Tobias smacked his wife in the face with the leather side of the belt. Quicker than Severus had ever seen him move, Tobias then turned toward Severus and whacked him in the arm with the buckle, causing him to drop his wand. He saw it go skidding off under the table and cursed. Tobias was on him in an instant and he used the buckle to smack him in the face. It somehow did not cut his skin, but it did send him to the floor. 

"I'll show you your place, boy. Then you're going to watch as I show your mother her place. I have something real special planned for that," Tobias bragged. 

Severus tried to crawl toward his wand and made it most of the way there before Tobias stomped his boot down hard on Severus' right hand. Severus felt his fingers break and he screamed in pain. His father was absolutely delighted to hear that. Tobias then pulled Severus' shirt off and forced him onto his back. He was going to whip him in the chest this time, changing it up from the usual lashings on the back. Severus barely saw it coming when white hot pain seared his chest as the buckle made contact for the first time. 

"You're not so tough without that stick are you, you little freak? Tobias snarled. 

Severus could hardly focus as he tried to reach for his fallen wand with his unbroken hand. The belt came down a second time, leaving a second bloody wound. Severus reached desperately, finally managing to grasp his wand as the belt hit for the third time. Severus shakily aimed as he was hit a fourth time and managed to whisper a spell to blast Tobias off his feet. 

Feeling his magic rush through him now that he had regained his wand, Severus stood up and made a slashing motion with his wand. The belt Tobias held was severed in two. Severus aimed his wand and blasted him back down again. 

"You want to know true pain, father? I am going to show you what this 'little freak' can do!" He thought of the unforgivable curses that he heard whispers about in Slytherin. He shouted the one that came to mind. "Crucio!" 

Not even a second went by and Tobias Snape was screaming in total agony. He held the spell for a good 30 seconds before he felt a hand pull his wand down.

"Severus, stop," his mother's weak voice said. "He isn't worth it." 

"Mother, you know what he has done to us!" Severus exclaimed as his Tobias whimpered and shook on the floor. Pathetic. 

"Don't let it consume you, Severus. Please. There's no going back once you cross that line," she said, speaking from experience.

Severus seemed determined to ignore her at first and was tempted to just use the Killing Curse and end this bastard's miserable life right here and now but stopped once he considered his mother's words. He knew he was dark, he didn't pretend otherwise. But could he really commit murder? One look into his mother's eyes made him realize that he couldn't. Not for himself but for her. She doesn't want him to become a killer. So he settled for something else instead. 

"Here's the deal, father. You are going to walk out that door and never come back. If I find out you set foot near this place or near my mother ever again I will use that curse on you until your mind snaps. Do you understand?" Severus said, his voice icy. 

Tobias did not respond so Severus raised his voice. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" 

Tobias muttered a 'yes' and shakily got to his feet and left. Severus realized just how bad his damage was and quickly began muttering an array of minor healing spells that he knew. They weren't nearly as good as the ones used by an actual healer but it was enough to slow the blood flow enough for him to bandage the wounds and repair his damaged hand. He looked over to his mother. 

"Mother, why did you stop me? I could have saved us both."

"I don't want you to become a killer, Severus. Not for me. I have been there and I know there is no coming back from it," she said. 

"Mother, what happened to your magic?" 

Eileen looked at him, surprised that he would ask. "Severus, that is a very long story and very complicated." 

"Please, tell me." 

Eileen sighed. "When I married your father, I was disowned by my family, the Prince family. They were pure blood supremacists, something I despise. They put bindings on my magic when they disowned me. They left me with just enough to where I could only use it one more time. After that, what I had left was enough to keep me alive but I would never be able to channel it again." 

"Is that when you did something to me? I remember my magic was extremely violent when I was younger." 

"Yes. I put an inhibitor on your core which is different than a binding. I was worried it would kill your father one day and I didn't want you to have his blood on your hands. The inhibitor should have dissolved by now, I am not sure why it didn't," she said, honestly. 

"Why was my magic so violent? I have never heard of anyone's magic reacting like what I remember mine doing." 

"Because the magic within our bloodline is special. I don't know what it is. Your grandparents only told me that our family originated from an ancient and powerful race of beings with immense magical powers and we inherited said magic. I don't know what the beings are called and the only people who might have known took it to the grave."

Severus pondered this for a moment and thought back to all those years ago. The magic he inadvertently used back then was definitely powerful and he had never seen it with anyone else. He decided to ask his mother what else she might have known. 

"Why do you want to know so badly, Severus?" 

"Because I am going to help you get your power back," he responded. 

"My parents are the only ones who could reverse the bindings placed upon me." 

"Then are there any other relatives?" 

"My brother may still be living but I haven't heard from him in years. Last I knew he was living in Australia."

Severus nodded. "Then I will have to fix it myself." 

Eileen's eyes went wide. "Severus, you don't have the power necessary to reverse what was done to me which is my fault. You can't fix it," she said sadly. 

"Watch me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering, Eileen stopped Severus because she does not want him to become a murderer. As she has killed before, she knows the damage that murder does to the soul. When she saw him using the Cruciatus Curse on Tobias and realized that he was about to do the one thing she would never want him to do, she finally had enough courage to step in. She also finally opened up to him now that the fear of Tobias is gone. More about her character will be revealed as the story goes on.


	3. Searching for Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As sad as I am to say it this may be the last update for a while. With classes starting up again tomorrow morning I likely won't have time to write. I will try to get a chapter out whenever possible but depending on how things go it may be until July (when the summer semester ends) before I can get any more content posted. I will still respond to comments and answer any questions you may have of course.

Over the next few days, Severus scoured every book on magic that he has to no avail aside from a whole new level of frustration. He had nothing that even remotely described the kind of magic that his mother talked about. He even went through what few things she still had and still nothing. There was also no mention of magical bindings and how to remove them, it was as if these things didn't even exist. Severus closed his latest book and threw it down in frustration. Maybe it was time to dig a little deeper. He could check the Hogwarts library when he and Lily go back to school for their fifth year. He was much more likely to find something there but then again maybe not. Dumbledore may view it as Dark magic and not allow it. Severus allowed himself a smirk at the irony of that. Just a few days ago he performed the darkest magic out there and he would gladly do it all over again. He should have just cast the Killing Curse and be done with it but his mother had begged him not to. The bastard may not be dead but he's gone and from how terrified he was he wouldn't be returning. As much as his mother says she doesn't care if she gets her magic back or not he could see the longing for it in her eyes. He made a promise to help her and that is what he would do.

After days of turning up nothing, Severus decided to go and visit Lily. As his mother was still sleeping, he just put on his shoes and left. Walking down the familiar street, it was maybe 10 minutes before he arrived at Lily's. He knocked on the door and it was Lily who answered. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked. 

"I came to see you and apologize for not being around the last few days," he responded. 

"Very well then. Better come inside."

The Evans house was very similar to his own but in way better condition. There was no dirty counter tops, no broken cabinets and no garbage littering the floor. While the latter had been cleaned up the rest of the house remained in a pitiful state just like all the others on his block. 

"Hello, Severus. I was wondering when you would be dropping by. Lily has missed you very much," Mrs. Evans said with a smile and Lily looked embarrassed. Mr. Evans just had a knowing smile on his face and didn't say anything. 

"Hello, Mrs. Evans. I have been busy the last few days," Severus answered not saying anything more on the matter. 

"You don't have to call me Mrs. Evans, Severus," she answered. 

"Sorry," he mumbled and sat down, wincing. This did not go unnoticed by any of them. 

"Are you okay, Severus?" Mr. Evans asked. 

"I'm fine." 

"Severus, this isn't the first time this happened. Can we please take a look?" Mr. Evans asked. 

Severus hesitated. Normally he would never consider showing anyone what happened to him. Then again, these people would never laugh at him. Violet and John Evans loved him as if he were one of their own. With that thought in mind, he relented and lifted up his shirt. The cuts and gashes were still present but looking much better than they had a few days ago. Violet and John gasped while Lily turned green and looked like she was ready to puke. 

"Did your father do this to you?" Lily asked and Severus just nodded and sat back down, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. 

"That bastard!" John exclaimed. 

"No, don't do anything. The problem has been taken care of," Severus stated. 

"Look what he did to you!" Lily nearly shouted.

"I made sure he left and I told him what would happen if I heard he was around here again. I haven't heard from him since. The problem has been taken care of and I am not leaving my mother alone so just drop it!" Severus replied hotly and left the room. 

"We need to do something, John. You know his father could come back and hurt them again," Violet said. 

"I know, dear. If Severus doesn't want our help though we can't force him to accept it. It will just push him away," John responded. 

Lily stood up. "I will go and talk to him," she said before leaving. 

Lily entered the living room where Severus was sitting on the couch just staring out the window. "What is up with you," she asked. 

"I taught my father a lesson and drove him off. My mother is still scared and doesn't have her magic to defend herself if he comes back," Severus admitted.

"What do you mean she doesn't have her magic?" 

Severus explained everything his mother told him. How her parents took her magic away and left her with only one more use of it and caused her to become the broken woman she is today. He also said he had been looking for a way to break the bindings placed upon her so she could regain the power that was rightfully hers and maybe she could start to heal from all she had been through. 

"I don't want to be the one to say it, Sev, but I don't think it is possible."

"I know! I am beginning to realize that. The only person I know of who could tell me would be Dumbledore." he spat the Headmaster's name as if it tasted foul. 

"Maybe you should put your differences aside and talk to him anyway, Sev. If you want to help your mother he may be the only one who can." 

"Lily, he clearly does not care about my well being. Why would he care about my mother who was also a Slytherin?" 

"Severus, I think he did what he did to protect Remus. I was outraged at first when you told me before I thought about it more. Do you know what happens to Werewolves if they put someone in danger?" Severus clearly had not thought about that. Remus would have been executed if word got out. 

"I haven't thought about it," he admitted. 

"I don't think too highly of that group at all but I am certain Remus wasn't in on what happened and he doesn't deserve to die because one of his friends decided to use him as a weapon," Lily said. 

Severus knew more than anyone just how annoying the Marauders were. Did he want to kick their teeth in and/or hex them into oblivion? Absolutely. But did they deserve to die? Definitely not. The only person Severus could say deserved death would be his father and as bad as the Marauders were they were not as bad as that man. 

"You're right, Lily. They don't deserve to die or lose their friend like that. I should be going."

"But, Sev, you just got here!" Lily said. 

"I know, Lily, but I still have things to do. I will be back tomorrow, I promise."

He lightly ran a finger through her hair before getting up and walking out the door. As sad as she was to watch him go, she smiled brightly. While it wasn't uncommon for Severus to touch her hair it was never like that before. She found herself having these strange feelings toward him since last year. She would have to do something about that soon. 

* * *

Returning home, Severus walked in the door. As bad as this place was, it definitely seemed better now that his father was gone. His mother was sitting in the living room and she looked up at him. 

"Hello, Severus. How did your visit with Lily go?" she asked. 

"It went well," Severus responded. 

"Did you ask her for help on your project?" 

"She can't help me." 

"I came to terms with never using magic again long ago, Severus." 

"But you need your magic, mother. What if he comes back and I'm not around? You know what he will do to you especially after what I did to him. I am going to write to Dumbledore and see what he can do."

"The Headmaster? Severus, he won't help me. Me and him never saw eye to eye during my time there. Something that runs in the family," she said with a small smile. 

"I have to try, mother. Your magic was wrongfully taken from you and I am not giving up on making sure you get it back."

Eileen realized there was no changing his mind and she simply nodded. While she would like to have her magic back, she came to terms that it was unlikely. She did not have high hopes that Severus would succeed. The binding placed upon her is the strongest one possible and to remove it would require a very powerful type of negation spell. 

Severus walked up to his room and pulled out his quill and some parchment. After writing his letter, he gave the letter to his owl who sat in his usual corner. It wasn't until the next morning that he got a response. 

_Severus,_

_I admire your determination to help your mother, but I am afraid there is nothing I can do. While I know exactly what kind of binding was placed upon her, this particular one can only be removed safely by the people who placed them and since both of your grandparents are gone it cannot be done as of this moment. Overloading it like what is done with most bindings would likely result in loss of life. However, I can attempt to find a workaround for you if that is what you wish but I warn you that it will not be easy. Putting aside our differences, I would like to work with you on this._

_Sincerely,_   
_Headmaster Dumbledore._


	4. Contemplation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know it has been a long time since I have uploaded anything on this site. As I explained in the previous chapter, I had a ton of work to do in college and this last semester was awful. My mental health has also not been in a great place and I have had a very hard time finding motivation to do much of anything outside of what was necessary. But I aim to overcome that and get back to work. Updates may not be every day but I hope to make them pretty frequent over the next few weeks. This chapter is pretty short unfortunately and I apologize for that. With all this being said, please enjoy.

Severus sat awake all night after receiving Dumbledore's letter. The old man had actually agreed to help him. But at what cost? Surely he has to have some sort of motivation behind doing so. His mother was rumored to be immensely powerful, so much so that she could even possibly put the old man himself to shame. So why would he willingly aid in getting that back for her? Then again, he had never seen her power for himself. She never had the chance to use it in all of his existence thanks to his grandparents. He himself has never been able to use his power at its peak so he has no idea what either of them are truly capable of. He twirled his wand between his fingers while being lost in thought. Is it even worth helping his mother regain her power? If he succeeded, would she even be able to use it anymore? For all he knows the years of abuse could have weakened her to the point where she no longer has the willpower and focus needed to use magic. These doubts are always pushed down by the knowledge that she needs this and she seems confident that she will be fine if it works but she remains pessimistic that it will work at all. He allowed himself to drift off, deciding to think about this more at another time. 

Severus was not asleep for very long, unfortunately. He looked at the clock and it read 6:47 AM, only two hours after he had drifted off. There was no way Lily was awake at this time and his mother was also asleep. With going back to sleep impossible, he turned on his lamp and decided to work on his Transfiguration homework. Transfiguration has always been a class that Severus found irritating. Not only is it his weakest class, but he finds little use for it. He has never once needed to transfigure something outside of class. His specialties were Defense and Potions. He let out a sigh and got to work. Three hours later he hadn't even gotten it half way done. As it was now nearing 10 AM he put his school supplies away and went downstairs. He saw his mother sitting at the table reading a book. It looked like one of her old ones that Tobias had not destroyed. She didn't even look up until Severus addressed her. 

"Good morning," he said. 

"Morning," she responded, drowsiness evident in her voice. 

"I see you didn't sleep any better than I did." 

"It's...hard. Things are just so different now that he's not here. Why did you have trouble sleeping?" she asked, curious. 

"Dumbledore sent me a letter yesterday. I had asked him if he could help with your situation and he can't, not without killing you," Severus answered. 

"It's a failsafe mechanism. Should anyone attempt to overload the binding it stops the heart. This is why I am not optimistic, Severus." 

"I also couldn't help but wonder why Dumbledore agreed in the first place. I know you were fairly powerful and with the current rising threats in the Wizarding World, I can't help but wonder why he would take the chance of unleashing something even worse given your...history." Severus said, gently. 

Eileen had a small smirk on her face at that. "Fairly powerful is an understatement, Severus. My raw magical strength and skill was unmatched. What took my classmates several minutes to get the slightest hint of success I could do perfectly with a simple wave of my hand or a snap of my fingers and that was just passive magic. My offensive magic was able to wreak utter devastation upon anything I wished it to. But those years are long behind me." 

"We won't know whether that is true or not until the answers are found, mother."

Eileen did not say anything else on the subject and went back to reading her book. "What is it you're reading?" Severus asked after several minutes had passed. 

"My old journal. I didn't know I still had it. I am just reliving the good times I guess," Eileen responded. 

"The times before...him?" 

Eileen nodded. "It mostly covers my Hogwarts years. I didn't have time to record after that as I met Tobias shortly after graduating. It ends with me finding out my parents were planning to marry me off to another pureblood family." 

Marriage contracts disgusted Severus. They were one major reason why he was glad he wasn't a member of any family that used them. His mother thankfully escaped hers, but he knew that she had ended up no better off in the end. Her magic was bound and she suffered years of abuse. While she actually speaks to him now that the fear of Tobias was gone, the mental damage was done and it would take years to fix if it even can be. He felt bad that he had ever doubted her. He knew now that his mother did indeed love him with everything she had, she just ran out of energy and was forced to accept that the torment was all she was going to know for the rest of her life. Luckily, Severus was able to change that by enabling himself to be able to cast magic outside of school without fear of expulsion. This also greatly improved his spellwork as he could practice anything he needed. He told his mother that he would be meeting Lily again today and he should get going soon. She nodded and wished him the best. He got dressed and walked out the door, making the now very familiar journey to the Evans house. 

After reaching the house, Severus was not greeted by Lily, Violet or John. He was greeted by Petunia, the most unpleasant of the lot. She sneered at him and hurled her usual insults his way which usually consisted of "freak" and "greasy pig." She also loved to insult Lily in front of him knowing how much it got under his skin. Out of both him and Lily, Petunia hates him the most as she believes him responsible for turning Lily into a "freak" despite having magic explained to her multiple times. While Severus has long since dismissed her as a brat who is jealous of their abilities, she still knew just which buttons to push in order to piss him off. This time it was by insulting his mother. He was about to tell her off in a not so polite manner when he heard Violet's voice.

"Petunia that is enough!" she shouted. 

Petunia stomped her feet and muttered "freak" once more before storming off. Severus muttered "imbecile" back at her. He immediately lightened up when he saw Violet, however. It was clear she had not been awake for very long as she was still in her night clothes. 

"Good morning, Severus. I take it you're here for Lily," Violet said, warmly. 

"Yes, Mrs- Violet," he corrected himself. She told him many times to call her by her name. 

"Unfortunately, you just missed her. She and her father have gone out for a while but you are more than welcome to wait. I'll make sure Petunia doesn't bother you. I can make you something to eat as well if you are hungry."

"I would appreciate that very much," Severus said with a smile.


	5. A Possible Solution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter as promised. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Edit: removed HTML tags that should not have been showing up in the first place. If there are still problems of any kind let me know. Idk what on earth is going on with this.

Severus ate his breakfast that Violet had been kind enough to make for him while he waited for Lily and John to return. He and Violet had engaged in small talk, but nothing too serious. He figured she was a bit wary to ask about his mother and it would be a bit redundant to ask about his studies as the result is always the same. He and Lily have always had a friendly rivalry about who would get the top spot in each class, something the both of them found amusing. Severus was a bit disappointed whenever it wasn't him but number two isn't bad either...next best thing he supposes. At least he knows that Potter and his group of lackeys would never be able to get anywhere near his skill set. Being able to crack the top 20 is a miracle for them in some cases, let alone anything else. Severus was subconsciously smirking at this thought, something Violet noticed. 

"Severus?" she asked. 

"Hmm?" he responded. 

"What's so funny?" 

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about the competition me and Lily sort of have going on and it led me to a thought that even if I only make number two it is much better than the idiots can hope to achieve." 

"I take it you're talking about the boys that pick on you all the time?" 

"Who else?" Severus snorted. "You almost can't be worse than James Potter unless you actively try to be." 

"Trust me, Severus, there are far worse people out there in the world." 

"Yeah, I am aware of that. It just never ends. Since me and Lily got closer he's gotten worse. No matter what he does, the teachers do nothing. His band of lackeys nearly got me killed last year and I was the one who was threatened with punishment," Severus ranted. 

Violet looked up shocked at that. "Wait, what?" 

"Lily never told you about that did she?" 

"Absolutely not! What did they do to you, Severus?" 

Severus went on to explain everything. Lupin's condition, the Whomping Willow, the tunnel and how Black had tricked him into going down it on a full moon night and how Potter had taken credit for 'saving his life' when it is likely he was in on it too. Violet was aghast. 

"And the teachers did nothing?" 

"Nothing." Severus confirmed. "Dumbledore threatened to expel me if anyone found out about it and they all got away with not even a slap on the wrist." 

"Just what the hell kind of school is that man running?" Violet cussing was a rarity and it signaled that she was beyond pissed off. 

"He's biased against me because of my house. He has treated me like I'm evil from the moment I was placed there. I did write to him asking for help on fixing my mother's magic but I do not believe for a second that he intends to even look. She was a Slytherin too, she's extremely powerful and they despise each other. Why would he?" 

Violet seemed to agree with him on that point of view. From all she had heard of Dumbledore, he did not sound like a good person. She was beginning to regret ever allowing her daughter to go to that place. She had to ask anyway though. 

"Does Dumbledore treat Lily fairly?" 

"He treats everyone but Slytherins fairly. When a Slytherin commits an act against someone of a different house he is quick to react, but he does nothing if it is the other way around. He either dismisses it as harmless fun or pretends it didn't happen entirely. From what my mother said, this was a thing even when she was in school." 

Before Violet could say anything else the door opened and Lily and John walked in. Lily immediately ran up to him and hugged him. 

"It seems serious in here. What's going on?" she asked. 

"I told her everything that's been going on." Lily knew what that meant. She was upset for a minute but accepted it. After all she had been planning on telling her mother eventually anyway. 

"We are going to Diagon Alley today. Are you coming with us as usual?" Lily asked, knowing that the situation had changed from last year thanks to his father leaving. 

"Yeah, I think so. I need to talk to your father alone first. I'll be back in a minute." Lily was curious about this but she nodded. 

Severus walked up to John. "Can I talk to you?" he asked. 

"Sure." John responded and they walked to a separate room. 

"What is this about, Severus?" 

"It's about...Lily." 

John was wary at this. "What about her?" he asked. 

"It's nothing bad it is just that...I'm in love with her." John chuckled at this. 

"I already know that, Severus. Even a blind man could see it. I don't understand what that has to do with me, however. You know I would have no issue if you guys got together. In fact, me and Violet have a bet on when it will happen." 

"Wait, you do?" Severus asked, surprised. 

John laughed at that. "Absolutely. We have both known just how close you two have gotten recently." 

"But I didn't think she felt the same," Severus admitted, looking at the floor. 

"I assure you she does. It is not nearly as one sided as you think. I am not going to tell you how to tell her because you need to figure that out by yourself. However, I will give you advice in that you shouldn't wait too long. She isn't going to stick around forever." 

"Thank you. I really needed to hear that." 

"Is there anything else you wish to talk to me about?" Severus shook his head and the two walked back out into the main room. 

Severus sat down next to Lily. He took her hand in his and she squeezed gently and smiled brightly at him. The two then began to engage in conversation about the upcoming school year and OWLs. 

"We've only got three years left. That's strange to think isn't it?" she asked. 

"I know. It feels like yesterday when we walked through those doors for the very first time," he responded. 

"It will be nice to be away from Potter though." 

"Ugh, tell me about it. He is going to be unbearable this year. Especially after Dumbledore let him get away with almost killing me. He will think he can do anything and get away with it, which he may not be wrong." 

Lily chose not to comment on that. That particular incident still infuriated her. She doesn't blame Remus of course, he had no idea what was going on. But the others she wanted to hex until they wished they were never born. 

"When we go to Diagon Alley today I plan on looking around a bit to see if there's anything that could help my mother and me," Severus said after a few moments of silence. 

"Do you think you'll be able to find anything?" Lily asked. 

"I have no idea but I have to start somewhere. The books I have do not have anything even remotely useful," Severus said. 

Lily nodded. She wanted him to be happy and if helping his mother got him there than she would go along with it even if she was unsure it could be done herself. "If there's anywhere that has something like that it would be there or in Hogsmeade. I doubt the school library has anything." 

"We can look there too just in case. Although you may be right. If Dumbledore knows what we're up to which he does since I wrote to him, he may try to prevent us from finding out the answer." 

"You may be right. I have no idea what to think of him anymore if I am being honest. I know he tries to do good but he goes about it in the worst ways." 

"He's never tried to do anything good by me. He has never cared what happens to me. Just look at how many times he has played off Potter's attacks as nothing more than harmless fun when I've ended up in the Hospital Wing." 

Before they knew it, it was time for lunch. After lunch they would be leaving for Diagon Alley. The trip was a peaceful journey as always. Once they arrived, the place was packed. Even more so than usual. Severus sighed. 

"This is going to take a while," he said. 

"Let's just get what we need and get out of here." 

Really all they needed were the books required for fifth year. Everything else they still had plenty of and their robes were in good condition and still well fitting. They headed straight for the book shop which was luckily the least busy of the shops. That gave Severus plenty of time to look around for what he needed. He did not find what he was looking for, so he asked the shopkeeper if he could help him, which he was more than eager to so do. After vaguely telling the shopkeeper brief details on what he was looking for, he disappeared into the back room. He came back with a big, heavy looking book. After paying for it and everything else he needed, he left the shop and waited for Lily with Violet and John. 

Unfortunately, a dreaded voice pierced the air. A voice Severus could go his entire life never hearing again and be perfectly happy. "Oi! Snivellus!" It was James Potter. 

Growling slightly, Severus turned around. "What the hell do you want, Potter?" he snarled. 

"Nothing, just wanted a little chat," Potter smirked. 

"I don't think so," the icy voice of Violet joined them. 

"You step away from him at once. I know exactly what goes on at that school and you won't be harming him on my watch," John said, his voice just as icy as Violet's. 

James Potter did not want to start any trouble with the parents of his obsession. So he decided to mess with Severus another time. He signaled to his lackeys. "Let's go. We'll get Snivellus at school." 

Severus sighed in frustration. "Sorry you had to witness that. That was tame compared to what goes on at school," he said to Violet and John. 

"And this happens every day?" Violet asked. 

"Oh yeah. There's usually a lot of hexing involved too. Today was just half of what they typically do." 

Lily came out of the shop shortly after that with her supplies in her hand. "What happened?" she asked, seeing the looks on their faces. 

"Potter and his lackeys," was all Severus needed to say. 

On the way back home Lily and Severus discussed the book that he bought. "Do you think it will help?" 

"I have no idea if it will help with what I'm looking for but it could still be useful if it doesn't. A book on powerful and obscure magic is always useful." 

"Just...be careful please, Sev. Some of that magic could be dangerous," Lily said, concern lacing her voice. 

"I will be careful, I promise. If it seems dangerous I won't do it," he promised. 

Severus made a bold move and kissed Lily on the forehead. He had never done that before. She blushed and curled into him happily. He held her the entire way home. Severus eventually went back to his house to talk to his mother and to read his new book. He did not get to talk to his mother as she was asleep on the couch. He quietly walked up the stairs to his room and sat down on his bed, pulling the new book out of the bag. He skimmed the contents once more. A lot of it was just advanced spells not typically taught in school and how to perform them. Many of them were quite dark and the effects were...graphic to say the least. No wonder these were not taught at Hogwarts or any other school for that matter. And Severus had been able to just casually ask for this in Diagon Alley. It was quite shocking how easy it was to come across something like this. The book also went in depth on wandless magic and how it differs from magic channeled with a wand. He would take note of that and the spells (at least the non lethal ones) for study later. When all hope seemed lost, he finally came across what he was looking for. The binding used was one specifically designed to block Celestial Magic. Celestial Magic was not discussed in detail as it was so rare to come across not much is known about it. What kind of creature this magic is wielded by is unknown, it is only known that it is the most powerful type of magic to ever be recorded and it is channeled wandlessly for those few who have the gift of it. Severus thought back to his childhood, the bizarre magic he used accidentally to stop his father from hurting him. The ultra healing abilities that were so powerful not even a scar was left behind from his father's brutality, until it was blocked of course. This was exactly what he needed. 

As he read the section on this particular binding, he realized that it is not as unbreakable as Dumbledore said it would be, not even close. Just as he predicted, the old coot was lying. However, what is needed to break the binding as his grandparents are dead is beyond disturbing and for Severus that saying a lot given that one spell he invented himself. 

_ If the individual who placed the binding is deceased, it becomes difficult but not impossible to remove. It requires one individual to perform with the individual affected lying still in the center of a perfectly drawn symbol associated with Celestial Magic. The material used to draw said symbol does not matter. Next, a bone from the individual who placed the binding must be crushed up into a fine powder and added to an altar. Following this will be the blood of the individual performing the ritual with the last ingredient being the blood of the individual who has been bound. The same symbol drawn on the floor must then be drawn on the body of the bound individual with the mixture. Finally, the words  _ by the name and power of Mother Magic, let the abomination be destroyed _ must be spoken. If done correctly, the binding will dissolve and the individual's magic will be set free. However, this is not a painless experience by any means. The pain associated with this particular binding breaking apart can be compared to being hit with the most powerful Cruciatus imaginable 10 times simultaneously and if the individual does not have an incredibly strong mind and willpower, they can be permanently incapacitated or killed by the procedure.  _

Severus slammed the book shut. He had his answers, but if it didn't work he could kill his mother or condemn her to a fate worse than death. Was it worth the risk? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though Severus has figured out what to do, this story arc is far from over, trust me. There is still much to be done before Eileen can have her magic back.


	6. AN: So...some news

So, I was actually working on a chapter and it was going to be edited and released on Christmas Eve. However, due to the copyright debate going on right now I am going to be officially suspending this fanfiction indefinitely. 

I started writing fanfiction in 2017, the year I graduated high school. Many of you are familiar with that story and many of you absolutely loved the new aspects and elements I managed to bring to this fandom. While many people did not stick with the story, I received nothing but positive reviews on both the original version and the rewritten version. My passion for writing fanfiction was started by someone named Valardoheris. They were my beta for the first few chapters of the story before I took on the torch myself. Sadly, they and their works can no longer be found on the site as their account was terminated by either the site or by their own doing.

After nearly completing the series, I decided to do a rewrite of the entire thing. There was much I wanted to change as I became unhappy with how it played out. This was impossible without basically restarting from scratch. I was more than happy to do it, however, just to bring you guys more content. But the the pandemic hit and my mental health really took a nosedive which killed my enthusiasm for writing. Despite being busy and struggling with mental health, I remained faithful to my audience and I kept making more content. 

So with all this being said, I am not going to continue working on a story that is just going to be completely fucked by ridiculous copyright laws being made by people who don't understand what they are even talking about. I know you guys are going to be disappointed and my heart aches at the thought of what could happen to this wonderful project I have spent hundreds of hours on but I can't spend hundreds more just to see it go down in flames. I can't do it. I will bring the story back if the copyright debate goes our way but until then, I will have to bid you all a very tearful farewell. I will miss you guys more than you know and I will miss this project.

**Author's Note:**

> So you can see a major difference just in this chapter length alone as well as in Severus' character. Stay tuned for more which will be coming soon.


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